1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a heat reflecting parasol for providing a reduction in the amount of exposure a user has to the heat producing energy of the sun.
2. Description of the Background Art
Presently, there exist many types of shading devices that involve the use of a material, such as nylon or canvas, that is fitted to a frame of various sizes and shapes. These shading devices are positioned between the sun and the user with the end result being an area of shade created for the user. An umbrella is a commonly used shading device having a collapsible jointed frame with a taut nylon covering stretched over the frame to facilitate the repelling of water and the creation of shade. Thus, when the umbrella is held above the head and shoulders of a user, rain will flow down its curved sides and cascade to the ground, avoiding the user altogether.
Although many devices are present in the industry today that create a shaded area when placed between the user and the sun, there still remains a substantial amount of heat transfer through the shading device. This transfer of heat results in the atmosphere underneath the shading device becoming just as hot as the atmosphere on the outer exposed portion of the shading device.
There are several reasons that account for the transfer and development of heat underneath the shading device. One reason that accounts for the high amount of energy transferred through the present shading devices is that the heat transfer characteristic of the shading material has minimal effect on the infrared energy that ultimately passes through the materials being commonly used in the industry today.
A second reason for the high amount of energy transfer through the prior art shading devices is attributed to the actual heat retention qualities of the specific shading material used. The shading devices being used presently in the industry tend to have shading materials that retain a high degree of heat and therefore become in effect a heat radiator to the atmosphere underneath the shading device. This heat radiating effect acts to negate the advantages of the shade provided by the shading device.
A third reason for the high amount of energy transfer through the prior art shading devices is the convection effect that is created thereby causing a flow of air to pass underneath the shading device bringing with it the hot air forming on the outside of the top. Thus, the current shading devices in the industry today operate mainly to only reflect water during rain or to provide shade from the sunlight. The current shading devices do not operate to, in effect, preclude the heat from transferring through to the atmosphere under the shading device.
Thus, due to the inadequacies of the prior art shading devices, there is a need in the industry to provide a shading device that will not only shade the user from the sun's visible light, but also from the sun's infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, and other forms of heat producing energy.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement over the prior art which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the shading parasol art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a heat reflecting parasol that has the ability to reduce the heat transferred to the atmosphere directly underneath the parasol and thereby provide a more tolerant climate for the user.
Another object of this invention is to provide a heat reflecting parasol having a roof assembly made from a multi-ply roof material that includes a metallic middle layer of material that thereby reduces the exposure to the infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, and heat producing energy generated by the sun that a user would have normally been exposed to when using the prior art shading devices.
Another object of this invention is to provide a heat reflecting parasol comprising in combination: a roof assembly made from a multi-ply roof material that includes an outside layer, an inside layer, and a metallic middle layer therebetween; and a frame support means for supporting said roof material, whereby said roof material is dispersed over said frame support means thereby providing reduced exposure to the infrared rays, ultraviolet rays and heat producing energy of the sun to a user thereof.
These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the Summary of the Invention, and the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.